Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. If you are a lawyer employed by any transformer-related company, check the meaning of that word and be on thy way. You won't earn your salary here.
Dedication: This chapter is for Sapphfire, and every other person who loves Rattrap. Which means I'm dedicating this to myself. I'm weird.
A/N: I love the "Double Jeopardy" episode, but the plot holes in it could swallow whole Axalon crew and then some. I hope this slightly changed version makes more sense.
Spoilers: Cameo of "Fallen comrades", big spoilers for "Double Jeopardy".
-
Mission: To save Beast Warriors
Part two
Words 'double agent' were NOT in my job description!
The Maximals fix their radio connection problems, Rattrap has his Big Day, and Rust unsocializes with his teammates.
-
-
"So, what is it, Rhinox?"
"Possible solution for our communication problems. Since we can't transmit signal strong enough to cut through energon fields, I thought we could just amplify it on the way."
"How?"
"With these." The green bot laid few metallic objects on a table. "Simple amplifiers. They will receive radio transmissions and send it further, without decoding it or modifying it in any way. If we place enough of them in a grid pattern, we should be able to communicate on quite a large area."
"Whaddaya mean, 'should?'" Rattrap leaned on Rhinox shoulder, scrutinizing the small discs laid out on the table.
"Well, we still have to test it--"
"Oh, I can test it!"
A collective "NO" from all bots echoed in the control room. Cheetor looked at their leader pleadingly.
"Come on, Optimus, let me at it! I won't screw up this time, promise!"
"No, Cheetor. I am going to test it. YOU can go with me--
"Ultra Gear!"
"--IF you'll remove all that paint from Rattrap's door within a mega-cycle."
"Awww..."
"You wanted to say something?"
Cheetor recognized the tone of voice and shook his head. He wanted to get out of the base, and if he had to destroy his handiwork in order to do so (and why was Rattrap so upset, it was just a 'biological contamination' warning sign!), so be it.
"An' I'm gonna sit there an' watch, kiddo, so don't get any more ideas," Rattrap warned, following him off the bridge.
Rhinox laughed softly. "You should have added 'consider yourself grounded, young bot'."
Optimus smiled and sat down. "Maybe I should. He keeps getting himself in trouble, and every time the only thing I can think of is, what would I tell Levers if anything happened to him."
Rhinox cocked his head. "His protector?"
"More than that. His creator."
The technician raised optic ridges. "Rare thing."
"Tell me about it. And besides being Cheetor's creator, he's one of my best friends. We fought together through quite a chunk of war; we used to meet sometimes after it ended, and recall all stupid things we were doing to forget we could die anytime, you know how it is... and Cheetor was listening, with optics big as skylights. And the very day he came of age, Levers called me. 'Optimus, help, my son wants to join Rangers'."
"Closest thing to an army he could find."
"Exactly. So I said, 'don't worry, I'll take him for an exploration trip and he will have an adventure without risking his life.'" Optimus winced. "I should have bitten my tongue."
"Come on, none of us is fortuneteller."
"Sometimes I wish I was. /sigh/ So...where are we to place the amplifiers?"
"I have prepared few versions of the grid, it all depends on what distance they will work..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Where are you, kitten?" Tarantulas ran an arachnoid in circles, usually the best way to attract the cat. "Here, kitty, kitty!" he cooed, glancing at the screens. Not a blotch of red fur anywhere. "Where are you, blast you?! Don't disappear on me now! I have a pretty little cage ready, just for you!"
Not to mention all the experiments planned...But the cat mischievously departed just when the arachnoids were about two solar-cycles from reaching spider's lair. Slaggin' feline!
"I'll find you, just you wait!"
Bleep **Megatron to Tarantulas! Where are you, spider?**
Muttering curses he left the console.
"Tarantulas here. What do you want?"
**Have you made that programming chips already?**
"I've prepared one, but--"
**Bring it to me at once. We have a stasis pod falling.**
&&&&
Megatron barked an order and both flyers whipped off a salute and took off immediately. Waspinator because he wanted to show what a loyal and able soldier he was, and Terrorsaur because he still remembered how the purple tyrant had swept the floor with him after the floating mountain incident. Megatron hadn't even bothered to fire, he'd just beaten the slag out off him, and Terrorsaur hadn't dared transform and fight back. He wasn't suicidal, after all.
But I will get you for that, Megatron. For that and for how you swindled me on Gladius.
But for now, he obeyed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megatron might be interested in a fact that, while he battled, trying - and failing miserably - to wrench the newest bot out off the Maximals' clutches, half a continent away something alien arrived at the swamps surrounding the lake.
It was going through it with speed never seen here before, making noises never before heard. Thousands of birds took off in panicked swirls of colorful feathers, as it came their way. Every now and then the thing would leap to the air with a loud /snap/, and some bird would screech indignantly at the feather pulled out off its tail. Then the strange invader would fall back to the ground, with more racket. The normally peaceful swamps were boiling with movement, colors and sounds.
The alien finally stopped and fell to the ground, gasping rapidly. If someone saw it, they could, with some imagination, distinguish vaguely wolfish outlines under four inches thick layer of mud. The possibly-wolf closed its eyes and laughed some more. It was, basically, drunk with excitement. In its head the swish of wings was coiling itself into a tune.
This planet is wonderful...
The swamps weren't the only unwilling host to a strange visitor. The serenity of a desert was bout to be disturbed as well.
Shuffle shuffle shuffleshuffleshuffle/ - soft noises of arachnoids' legs on sand were the only thing that disturbed night silence, until something looking much like a yellow-eyed demon appeared before them and raised one of them in its pincer. Then the night filled with a mad laughter.
"Oy, Fearless Leader, are ya dere?"
**Optimus here. What is it, Rattrap?**
"Wit' my usual, or rather, unusual skills, I found us a sweet little hole in da ground, full of retrievable energon."
**That's great! Where is it?**
"Well, a bit closer to da Preds' grounds than I like, but it's out of sight and da chances are, they donno about it. Sector 15, point 3-5-2/4-2-9"
**All right, you and Dinobot carry on your task; I'll come with Cheetor to mine. Our reserves are getting low.**
"Got it. Rattrap out."
The small bot looked at his companion.
"Well, ya heard 'im. Here," he tossed a pack of metal discs to Dinobot. "Ya go plant 'em on 3-4 line, an' I'll take care of 3-2."
"Hnn, we shouldn't split up, vermin. This area is close to the Predacon ground."
"Hey, no way I'm spendin' a whole solar-cycle wit' ya! And da sooner we finish, da sooner we can get outta here."
Dinobot snarled, but didn't argue. This way, he wouldn't have to suffer Rattrap's company. It was worth a risk.
A few mega-cycles later they returned to base, to find Optimus emerging from the CR-Chamber.
"Optimus? What happened?"
Primal tested his arm. "Megatron himself plus the flyers. Looks like they did know about that energon dale."
Rattrap glanced automatically at the other CR. "Is kiddo all right?"
"I'm fine!" Cheetor bounced into the room. "You should've seen this action, Rattrap!"
He went on about the fight, encouraged along by Rattrap's unflattering comments on the Predacon's intelligence.
Above the two bots' heads, Optimus exchanged glances with Dinobot.
Why us?
Rattrap looked up from the poker game he was playing, jumped in alarm and activated his comlink.
"Rattrap to Rhinox, come in!"
**Rhinox here. Something wrong?**
"Where are ya? Ya disappeared from da scanners!"
**Did we? Strange. We're at 4-2-7/4-6-6, grid Septa. We shouldn't be out of range yet.**
"Tell me about it. How are ya doing, anyway?"
**Hnn, we would be doing much better without your babbling, rodent.**
"Hey! Nobody asked yer opinion, Scale-belly!"
**We're almost done. Three more amplifiers, and we're going back**
Rattrap smirked at the undignified snarl in the background. It sounded like a certain raptor's mouth had been closed and kept that way by force.
"Gotcha! See ya in few megas"
But barely two mega-cycles afterwards he was screaming franticly through the speaker for Optimus to give Rhinox and Dinobot back up NOW!
And then he listened, with his hands shaking, to the gunfire coming from his comlink.
"Come on, come on, get outta there..."
Blast it all, why it was him tied up to the radio when the Preds were attacking his friends again? If anything happened... He cut out the thought.
&&&&
"They just popped out of nowhere," Rhinox rumbled. "We were lucky you and Cheetor were so close."
Optimus watched grimly the four fleeing figures. They'd come in almost full squad and hid at the two Maximals' path. As if they knew exactly where and when...
He shook his head. He was being paranoid. They had no way of knowing. It must have been a coincidence.
"I'm glad I've changed my patrol route," he said. "Or rather, I'm glad Cheetor did."
Cheetor smiled. For once his impulsiveness turned out for good. If it weren't for his inclination for racing cheetahs, they would have been way too far away to give any aid.
"Can you walk?" Optimus asked worriedly. The two had taken some bad damage.
"I'll manage," Rhinox assured him. Dinobot snarled an agreement.
"Well then, let's go."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Few solar-cycles later, some dozen miles up north, a keening of a wounded animal washed over uncaring plains.
/OWWWWWWWWWW! OW! Owwwowowowowowow!/
Rust was lying on his side, howling softly. It was the only action he dared to undertake. His beast-mode was trying to die. His nanites were trying to prevent it. The rest of him just suffered.
Note to self: never, ever, chase anything that moves despite the lack of legs, no matter how cool its colors are!
Maybe it was time to catch up on education... He closed his eyes and searched his datatrax for files he'd downloaded from the Exploration Treasures' Museum. Somehow, he never had time to actually go through them... Well, now he had. He plowed through the mass of data.
No legs, no legs... ah, here we are! Reptiles, hm? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Somewhere in the mountains, an interesting occurrence was about to take place. It started with a gust of wind, and a mist, creeping over the snowy slopes. Then the mist thickened, the wind intensified, and the ground started shaking, as if fearing the shrouded in mist intruder that slowly drifted above it. The rocks howled with strain as the small cracks and crevices widened under the unseen force beating at them from above. And then, just as unhurriedly as it came, the blob of mist moved away, and left the story to enter it again at a later date. But in its wake, it left a freshly opened canyon. The snow cascaded from its edges, uncovering a metallic shell.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radar beeped, and Rhinox blinked. "What?"
Optimus half turned to him. "Something new?"
"It looks like a beacon signal from a stasis pod!"
"A pod?" Optimus immediately moved closer to watch. "Why didn't we see it falling?"
Rhinox didn't even have to ponder. "It must be one of the pods that fell during the battle. Remember, when that fighter--"
Optimus nodded. "You're right. Will the Predacons pick up the signal as well?"
Rhinox's optics ran over the data. "Not a chance. The signal's too weak to reach them."
"Well, it'll be good not have to worry about them for once." Optimus said with a smile and hit the comlink button. "Dinobot..."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Most snake species are poisonous," Rust mumbled. "NOW they tell me."
He read on.
Some of them are in native tongues called, for instance, 'two steps' or 'five cycles', which indicates how long the victim lives after the poison is inflicted.
"How extremely reassuring..."
Fortunately, the poison only affects organic life forms, and Cybertronians may walk through the jungle without fear--
"HA, HA, HA, very slaggin' funny! OW!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The CR-Chamber was about to finish the repair cycle. Inside it, Optimus started to wake up. It was a disturbing feeling, when his consciousness seemed to drift for a moment in the darkness. It resembled all too much what he'd experienced when the alien probe landed. The memory angered him. The Maximals were there for him when he needed them, and now he was failing them! He'd lost the pod; he'd almost got Rhinox and Dinobot killed... He should have had realized something was wrong after the ambush at the energon dale, slaggit!
The CR door opened, and Primal stormed out of it and slammed his fists on the table. "This makes three straight operations ambushed!"
"Sounds mighty suspicious."
"Like some rat slipping info."
"Hey!" Rattrap protested. He was getting fed up with making fun of his beast-mode!
Dinobot growled.
"It was Rattrap who led us into a box canyon. He was also never targeted, and was alone each time an ambush occurred. He could have easily relayed the information on our location."
The control room boiled. Dinobot was accusing Rattrap, Rhinox and Cheetor were defending him hotly, while Rattrap himself settled for insulting the raptor.
Optimus didn't really listen to the argument. He was looking at Rattrap. In his head, everything he knew about him from Rhinox, everything he'd observed for himself, and all recent events formed themselves into a very interesting picture.
Maybe...
Rhinox slammed his fist on the table. "Rattrap wouldn't do that!"
Wouldn't he, now? Optimus was staring at Rattrap without really seeing him. "I'm not so sure," he murmured, mostly to himself. He noticed shocked looks on three robots' faces, and Dinobot's smirk. His optics focused. "Rattrap, I want a word with you. In private." He gestured towards the corridor. The small bot gaped at him incredulously, then left without a word.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Megatron drummed his fingers against the armrest. "Tarantulas, is the programming complete?"
The spider-bot hunched over the pod's console didn't even raise his head.
"I could do it a lot faster if I had a chip prepared."
If you hadn't got it trashed, you stupid, arrogant...
"I have to type all the codes in manually, it takes time."
Actually, what he was doing right now had nothing to do with behavior programming. He'd entered physical set-up data and was rewriting it. The Maximals believed that the outer shell didn't matter. He knew otherwise. What's the point of having an ugly female around? He was changing the crude lines the pod wanted to shape the protoform in into something much more interesting.
He glanced furtively at the DNA scanner and frowned. No tarantulas in range. Oh well, some other species would have to do.
He returned to the shell program and started adding some safe guards, just in case. Megatron could be as impatient as he wanted, Tarantulas was not going to lose such a great opportunity to test his talents.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rattrap slammed Optimus's quarters' door with a volley of words that made Cheetor gasp in a mix of shock and awe. Rhinox frowned. Rattrap hadn't been using such language for decades! He was about to go after the small bot, when his comlink beeped. The voice that came was only heard by him.
--Message from Optimus for your circuits only--
He turned from the others. "What is it?" he murmured almost inaudibly, absently wondering why Optimus chose the 'silent channel' over a tight beam.
**I want you to check our comm equipment and then the whole control room for bugs, and if the outcome is nothing, then...**
"Yes?"
**Then I want you to give me a tap device I could bug Rattrap with.**
"Optimus, this is--"
**This is an order, Rhinox. Optimus out.**
&&&&
Leaning over the code-breaker, Terrorsaur chuckled. So, the Maxis thought they had a spy onboard, huh? Oh, this was sweet!
Then he fell silent. Maybe... maybe... he could use it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After two mega-cycles Rhinox had to accept his defeat. He'd check the entire control room four times, and he found nothing. And that meant that now, as much as he hated it, he had to follow the second order. A tap device... to spy on his best friend.
&&&&
Rattrap was lying in his room, fuming.
Who does this ape thinks he is? Playing practice target was not in my contract, I know 'cause I've checked!
But...
Yes. The 'but'.
With a sigh he got up and rummaged in the pile of his belongings, until he found a small, flat box. He opened it and looked at its contents. He hadn't used it for so long, he wasn't sure he still could. Funny, the way he was dragging this with him after all that time.
He closed the box and hid it in his wrist compartment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you make it?"
Rhinox silently pointed at the table. Optimus pretended he didn't notice the way the technician was looking at him.
I'm sorry, old friend, but I really have no other choice.
He picked up the small disk and pressed the button.
**So, how does it work?**
**It's basically a one-way comlink. I didn't have time to make anything more sophisticated. OR a will.**
**Rhinox, if he is innocent, this is the best way to prove it.**
**Never mind. /Beep/ Rattrap, report to the control room.**
Terrorsaur glanced over his shoulder. No one was paying him any attention. Tarantulas had finally finished his work, and now all Predacons were watching Blackarachnia practicing her combat moves. And no matter how hard they tried to hide it, the dactyl-bot knew they were drooling inside. He was, after all. But now he had more important things to think about...
**Whaddaya want?**
**We've found some energy disturbances near sector 12. You'll check it.**
Straining his hearing, Terrorsaur managed to distinguish a small click of metal on metal.
**Me an who else?**
**Only you. I don't want to risk anyone accidentally bumping into Predacons.**
The rat's response made Terrorsaur chuckle. With the rat's attitude and suspicions already aroused, this would be all too easy! He turned to Megatron.
"Megatron, there's a lone Maximal heading to our grounds. Shall I take care of him?"
Yes, yes, please say yes, send me there...
The purple bot waved his hand dismissively, not bothering to tear the gaze from his newest recruit. "Yess, do that."
With a smirk, Terrorsaur left. On his way out he stopped by Scorponok's lab and pinched one specific tool.
Especially for you, Megatron.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many bots who knew him would say that Rattrap was overly pessimistic. Rattrap wouldn't agree, because he knew best that, usually, when he was thinking things like 'Holy stinking slag! I'm gonna die!' he actually had a reason. Like now.
Terrorsaur's attack had caught him by surprise. One fast blow to the back of the head, and he was lying on the ground, staring at the wrong end of the Predacon's blaster. He hadn't had time to do anything, even to say one word, for Primus sake!
"Well, well, look who decided to turn up," a screechy voice said mockingly. "Nice to see you, Maximal. Anything you want to tell me?"
Huh?
Blinking in amazement at not being terminated, Rattrap looked up in the red optics.
"An' what wouldja wanna know?" he asked carefully.
"Everything useful, of course. But.." Terrorsaur paused for a moment. He had to choose the words carefully, if he wanted the conversation sound like just a weird twist to Rattrap, and like an open treason to the listening Maximals. "...but the most desirable would be hearing that you've finally got tired of your so call teammates."
For a moment Rattrap was sure his audios were deceiving him.
I don't believe it. It's gonna be all too easy!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dinobot was triumphing.
"Will you still defend your friend?"
On the radio, the exchange between Rattrap and Terrorsaur continued, but Rhinox refused to listen.
"This is some... I don't... Rattrap would never--" Rhinox's voice failed him as Rattrap's voice rose in volume, loud, decided and clear.
**Computer, change da activation code**
Terrorsaur's laugh could be heard, and then...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terrorsaur finally noticed what he'd been looking for. "Hey, and what's this?" He pulled a small disk off Rattrap's shoulder plate. "A bug, huh?"
That made Rattrap jump. He hadn't been informed of that little detail!
"WHAT?! That slaggin' ape--!"
/BLAM/
Terrorsaur hid his blaster and dropped the remains of the device carelessly.
"Your friends had heard every word, rat, so if you thought of, oh, I donno, double crossing me or something..." He leaned and poked the smaller bot's chestplate. "Well, better think again, 'cause you don't have a place to go back to."
Rattrap looked at the red bot with a dose of new respect.
"It never crossed my mind, sir" he assured him, saluting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following events in the Predacon base were, Rattrap had to admit, quite enjoyable. Especially the part when he had the honor of bringing the mighty Megatron down. The part when he got locked in a cage next to him was the annoying bit. Especially when the T-rex freed himself with a smug remark about his own brilliance. Then he left, probably to repair his transformation circuits, leaving the rat alone. Just as he wanted it.
Terrorsaur had made sure he was disarmed, but the small box was still in his wrist compartment. It wasn't a weapon, and the scanners didn't detect it. He took out the lock-picks.
Well... do I still remember how to use them?
He shut his optics and concentrated on the touch and sounds.
Up, down, a bit to the left, down again, slag, double catch, all right, I know this one, up-left-right, down, just a bit further...
/click/
Oh, come on, Megs, I've opened aircars with better locks than that!
The lava hissed behind him and he flinched, half expecting to hear Preds' or police's yells any nano-klik...
Then he snorted at his own stupidity.
Yeah, right, not much chance for a police officers down here.
He glanced at the barred corridor entrance in the distant wall.
He took a deep breath. He prepared to jump.
He looked at the lava below.
He took a deeper breath.
He scanned the room, hoping to find another way out.
There was none.
Slaggit, slaggit all, I'm just a miner, not some rusted commando! His mind screamed as he jumped.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optimus was quite grateful that Rattrap had chosen this day to present them with his language abilities, because it gave him plenty of things to call himself, as he sat silently, staring at the nearby ship.
When the anger and grim determination had worn off, he suddenly realized how extremely stupid this idea was, but by then it was too late to do anything, because Rattrap had already disappeared inside the Predacon base. At least he was alive at the time.
Now Optimus could only pray that he'd leave it in the same state.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, this is weird, Rattrap thought, following a small gray creature. Not to mention insane. But I was lost anyway, and if a rat can't trust another rat, then this is a very bad world indeed.
He'd toured almost half the base by the feel of it. The bright side of it was that he was now armed with a few bombs and a small stun gun he'd filched from laboratory-looking room. The downside was that he still didn't find--
--Scanning for maximal frequencies--a metallic voice sounded somewhere below.
Rattrap crouched and peeked over platform edge.
Ah-ha!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cheetor was the first to break the silence. "What are we waiting for, Optimus?"
"Yes, why do we not attack?" Dinobot joined.
"You are waiting for my command," Optimus snapped with a murderous look. That quieted them down instantly. Optimus was never like that before...
And/I/ am waiting for a signal. I just hope there is someone to send it to me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A spider web popped out of nowhere, and there was no way Rattrap could avoid it.
'Help!' his mind shouted, but he forced his mouth shut before they followed.
Yer alone here, get a grip, no point in shouting. You knew this could happen, you're prepared, remember?
He twitched his arm and a long blade switched out. Yet another souvenir from the past...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optimus's comlink beeped twice. He jumped to his feet. "We attack now! And, Dinobot..." The warrior looked at him expectantly. "I want him functional!" Dinobot only snarled.
&&&&
The Predacon base shook under a barrage of fire, almost shaking Terrorsaur off the command chair. He screeched in a surprised dismay. A Maximal attack! They weren't supposed to attack them! They were supposed to sit and wait for beingattacked! So what now?
Before Terrorsaur could gather his wits, a slightly amused voice from behind almost gave him a spark attack.
"Well,leader, how shall we respond?"
The Pterodactyl gaped in terror at a huge bot smiling politely at him.
I'm dead! I'm totally deactivated! I'm so dead!
After a while his processor registered the meaning of the words that had been said.
"You-you will allow me to l-lead?" and it took all his strength to say 'lead', not 'live'.
Megatron chuckled quietly. Were they on a more populated planet, Terrorsaur would have been fed to the shredder already, but when every soldier was needed, treachery had to be dealt with differently. The brute force obviously didn't work, let's see if public humiliation and brute force would work any better... But meanwhile, he just smiled.
Terrorsaur gulped. Okaaay, that was scary. But since Megatron didn't do anything painful yet, he might as well play along...
"Waspinator, release my lieutenant, everybody, prepare to engage enemy," he ordered with a barely noticeable tremor in his voice, glancing nervously at Megatron. The purple tyrant bowed slightly and positioned himself near the exit, weapons ready. Holy slag, he actually was taking his orders! Dumbfounded, the red bot terrorized and prepared for battle himself.
&&&&
In a corridor near the holding area something stirred, and then there came a muffled curse. Springing one of Tarantulas's special traps didn't go without consequences. Fortunately for the good guys' cause, this time the consequences had been paid by a Predacon. Tarantulas painfully rose from the floor where Rattrap had left him in a smoking heap. "Wait till I get you, rat!" he yelled in the general direction of Rattrap's disappearance, and then staggered towards the clamor of a battle. He was about to leave the base, when he heard two small explosions from behind. He looked back and hesitated for a nano-klik, but then disregarded it and joined the fight.
&&&&
Optimus saw clearly the defiance in Dinobot's eyes, and firmly decided not to give him a chance of getting anywhere near Rattrap. But in battle, decisions are much easier made than executed; after just a few nanos he lost sight of the raptor. The darkness of the night didn't help any. Cursing to himself he took off, hoping to grab the rat and retreat, but no such luck; Rattrap was surrounded by the Preds, and was right now raising his blaster to fire.
Stop fidgeting, slag you! How can I miss when you keep getting in my line of fire? Oh, BLAST!
If any of the Maximals still had doubts about Rattrap's allegiance, they disappeared the very moment their leader fell down from the sky.
Dinobot snarled triumphantly. He'd used the distraction of Optimus fall, and got to the traitorous vermin first! He pinned him to a convenient boulder.
"I have awaited this meeting, traitor."
Since the very day I met you...
"Prepare to be terminated," he snarled, raising his sword.
Rattrap choked in the warrior's grasp. His optics were locked on the blades, all blurry in rotation, only its tip still and clear, before it came rushing at him.
"NO! Ya stupid--"
Something bashed at the side of Dinobot's head and Rattrap was dropped to the ground. He gasped for air, looking up at his rescuer.
Gee, thanks, Megs...
&&&&
The gunfire could be distinctly heard, and Rust accelerated, flattening his ears. Gunfire could mean danger for Megatron, but, more importantly...
A battle! My first!
Oh, the thrill!
&&&&
Dinobot came to his senses held in Megatron's dino-hand, with Rattrap aiming a gun at him. But the worst part was the screechy voice next to his audio, shouting "Destroy him, I command you!" He was almost sure he'd go deaf in that audio...
Rattrap's optics flickered to the sides. He was still surrounded by the Preds! What was he suppose to do now?
Slag you, Chopper-face, if I get killed because of this, I'll have your spark for breakfast!
He shot at Terrorsaur, beastmoded, and ran for his life.
"That will not save you, vermin!" Dinobot had no difficulties fighting free from Megatron's grasp, and, not paying attention to anything else, he pursued the rat.
&&&&
Rust terrorized and raised his blaster. He was still quite far away, but he had excellent night vision, even better aim, and he'd added a custom-made blaster to the packet. Its barrel was so long that it could pass for a rifle in a smaller bot's hands.
The only problem was, there were a little bit too many targets to choose from...
A green laser cut through the darkness, hitting a rat, which squeaked and transformed. Ah, none of his comrades, therefore an enemy. Rust pulled the trigger, grinned at the result, and rushed forward on four paws.
&&&&
Rattrap ground his teeth. He knew whom the laser belonged to!
That's it, I'm gonna--
A shot in the back send him flying to the ground, which probably was a good thing, because five more of Dinobot's blasts seared above him. But the warrior was taking another aim right now and--
The ground trembled under thundering steps, and the massive form of a rhino appeared in front of him. Rattrap jumped on his back without a second thought. Phew...
"Thanks buddy."
Rhinox didn't respond.
Oh. Right. Well, let's wait till we're all safe at the base...
&&&&
Rust howled.
No, come on, don't leave just yet!
He transformed again and shot two grenades from his wrist launchers. The launchers weren't originally designed for grenades, and therefore they were dreadfully inaccurate at long range, but he almost scored. Almost. The rhino tripped, and a bot on his back screamed, but that was it. His first land battle was over.
"Oh, slag!"
Something clicked nearby. "Rust?" came the voice full of disbelieve.
Young bot jerked his head. The form was slightly different, but the face and voice were familiar.
"Hi, sarge!"
The bot blinked, then suddenly raised his claw. "Look out!"
Rust whirled around, only saw the blue-faced warrior and turned back to ask what was he supposed to be looking out for--
--and a laser from behind tore out quite a chunk of his side. He fell to the ground, and rolled reflexively. Two more shots scorched the place he'd just left. Then the attacker retreated.
With a grunt, Rust scrambled to his feet.
"What's going on, sarge? Why did he shoot me?" he considered it for a nano and added "this time?"
The other bot clicked his claws again and Rust smirked. That bot had used to drum his fingers against his chestplate. Apparently, one tick was replaced by another.
"Dinobot joined the Maximals the very first day we've arrived here."
Rust stopped and blinked.
Dinobot?
He turned his head and looked at the fleeing form of the raptor.
Oh.
/bleep/ **Scorponok, where are you? You are to come here immediately!** /bleep/
Scorponok? Who's making up these names?
He smiled widely. "Well, let's go," he said cheerfully, giving the shorted bot a friendly push and starting toward the front of the ship. He didn't even need to consult the Megs-checker to locate him, the yells were a clue enough. Someone was being given a lecture. Hehehe, good thing it wasn't him!
They came from around the ship and Rust chuckled inwardly at the sight of the red robot falling to the ground and loosing his head in the process. That guy had a gift for trouble!
Megatron growled and beastmoded, as the first shocks of an energon surge went through him.
Rust sputtered.
"If he's called 'Trexy' now, I'm gonna ROTFL (1) " he whispered into Scorponok's audio. He didn't react, but it was hard to tell if the reason was the excess of loyalty or the lack of understanding.
"Megatron! Look whom I've found!"
The T-rex frowned at the form looming behind his second-in-command, but then the blue optics flashed at him, and he grinned.
"Ah, our brave, lost ally is back!"
"Back and ready for duty, sir," Rust declared, giving an offhand salute.
"Excellent. Have you picked another name?"
"Aaaaah'd rather stick with Rust, if that's all the same for you, sir."
"But of course. You may take this scrap--" he indicated Terrorsaur, groaning on the ground, "--to the CR-tank--"
Rust threw the body over his shoulder seemingly effortlessly, but Megatron heard a quiet grunt and saw the way he was protecting his side from the contact. Well, let's see how far we can push him...
"--and then, we have a missing new Predacon, a femme by the name of Blackarachnia. You will track her down and bring her back."
"Aye, sir." Rust picked up the red head in his left hand. "Can I repair myself before I go?"
Megatron eyed the hole in his side as if he only just saw it.
No point in pushing him too much, was there.
"Oh, very well."
Rust nodded and went to the ship, tossing the protesting head up and down carelessly. He stopped that as soon as he was out of the others' sight. Well now, this new entrance led to the corridor on a second level, near the bridge, so the CR-tanks were... that way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lift made its last tour this evening, bringing Optimus and Rattrap up. The small bot took a look around. Rhinox and Cheetor were clearly avoiding his gaze, their faces full of hurt and disappointment. Dinobot, on the other hand, looked almost happy. He'd drawn his sword already.
"Now, I will terminate the traitor myself!"
The small bot backed away quickly, and Optimus moved to block the warrior's way.
"Stand down, Dinobot!"
These three words, he reflected, were slowly becoming a mantra, used almost as often as 'shut up Rattrap'. Speaking of the rat...
He turned and cleared his throat.
"Well, Rattrap, report."
Whatever others were expecting, it wasn't that. Rattrap smirked.
"Well, ah, we 'ave a new Pred to worry about, Blackarachnia, she has a rather nasty temper. What else? Oh, Megs keeps birdcages in place of holdin' cells. Hangin' from da ceiling. Over a lava pit. I hadta made a very difficult jump over da stuff. An' twice, I might add."
Optimus raised his optics to the skies. "Rattrap..."
"AND they 'ave aaaall sorta traps everywhere, even in da air ducts, and they never seem ta clean da place, ya wouldn't believe da size of a cobweb I walked onto..."
"Rattrap!"
"All right, all right," he pulled a small chip out of his wrist compartment. "Here. Got no idea where they found that, but that's what they were usin'. A Maximal decoder. An' there was quite a pile of other parts wit' our symbol on 'em, so I left a little time bomb in there. And inna pod too, ya know, just in case."
Optimus turned the decoder over in his fingers. All this because of such a little thing. He breathed deeply.
"Congratulations, Rattrap!" he said, extending his hand.
"Call me a Spy Master," the small bot answered gloatingly, accepting the handshake as if it was a Galaxia prize. He resembled a small balloon filled with pride, and Optimus wouldn't have been surprised if he started floating.
"You mean, his capture, and his betrayal...were all a set-up?" came from behind him.
Rattrap looked up at Dinobot with a smirk.
Ya were hoping ya got rid of me, weren't ya...
"Yeah," he said casually.
Dinobot remembered the scene from the battle and averted his gaze. He had every intention of going against Optimus's order, and almost killed a comrade. Shame was not an emotion he was used to dealing with. And what made it worse, was that it was Rattrap, off all bots, to cause it. He'd never thought the rat would have the nerve to accomplish such a task. How quick he was to condemn him...
Rattrap blinked as the warrior looked away and slumped his shoulders. What the--? He was used to constant fights with the raptor, and didn't know how to deal with this sudden walkover. A bit puzzled, he turned to the rest.
Cheetor was delighted (ultra gear!), but Rhinox seemed ready to kill. And by the looks of it, Optimus and himself were likely targets.
"WHY didn't you tell us?"
"We had to keep it a secret, to keep his cover safe"
"Yeah, I didn't want them Preds gettin' suspicious, ya know, I was quite outnumbered out there." Rattrap smiled at his friend apologetically. It must have been hard for the Big Green...
Dinobot snarled. Here was something that could help him forget about his shame for a while.
"And we are outnumbered as well," he stated.
"What? What are ya babbling about, Dino-brain? Yer figure circuits overloaded?"
"Hnn, Didn't you notice someone shot you at the end of the battle, ro--Rattrap?"
"Sure I did. I'm lookin' at 'im."
Dinobot actually flinched.
"I mean later, rodent! Someone shot you and threw explosives at Rhinox."
Rhinox frowned. "That's true, it surprised me; none of the Predacons used grenades before..."
"Yes. Hnn, it was none of the Predacons you know."
Optimus tensed. How could there be a second new Predacon? Did they find the other stasis pod, or... He didn't even want to think of the other possibility - that another Predacon ship had arrived. They'd be as good as dead in that case. "Who was it, then?" he asked.
Dinobot frowned. "Rust. As strange as the name may be," he added, before any of them could wonder why he was cursing all of a sudden. "You must remember the fighter jet that went down during our initial battle..."
Everyone nodded.
"Rust was the pilot. Apparently, he survived the crash."
Optimus sighed in relief. Not as bad as he feared, though still a problem.
"Well, who is he, Dinobot? In the report we'd got he was only mentioned as 'unknown'."
Dinobot narrowed his optics. The fact was, he didn't know much, but what he did know...
"I am not surprised. Whoever he is, we met him on the day of the theft. Hnn... From what I've observed, he's either insane, or Megatron has tampered with his programming. Or possibly both." He frowned again and paused.
"Well, ah, if that's all ya 'ave ta say, Dino-butt..."
Optimus intervened before a fight could start, and after just a few more insults, a tale begun.
------------
The theft had taken place not in the middle of the night, but in the late afternoon, when the city life hit its heights. All went according to plan, and just twenty cycles after Tarantulas and Dinobot entered the building they were back on the streets, passing the Golden Disk to Megatron, who had been waiting for them in a vehicle that looked like an average air-car, but was in fact a little space shuttle in disguise. Scorponok joined them only a cycle later, after making sure none of the alarms were triggered.
Four land-bound thieves headed out in the shuttle, while the two flyers followed at a certain distance, looking out for trouble.
And the trouble did appear. Somehow, the police were waiting for them. The entire district was surrounded, and it looked impossible to escape, but Megatron tried anyway... And when all Pit broke loose, he shouted into his comlink "Rust, where are you?" and a voice Dinobot had never heard before answered **Dead ahead of you, sir!**
"Give us cover!"
**Aye, sir!**...
...and a part of the wall of a building ahead of them exploded, and from the smoke and flames, a fighter emerged.
It zoomed above them and plummeted into the mass of police units, firing, and the police signatures on the scanner Dinobot was watching started to disappear as if by magic.
But there were still too many of them on their tail to escape successfully.
"Rust, lure them away from us!"
The fighter had suddenly jumped up, made two loops around, as if deciding what to do... and dived straight at them. It pulled up just before the crash, for a few nanos hovered above them, almost touching their shuttle... and just as suddenly, it turned at a crazy angle and sped away, disappearing among buildings. Scorponok cursed and started asking what was that all about, when most of the police forces abandoned the chase after them, going after the other ship instead.
Megatron laughed. "They think we've passed the Golden Disk to him! Excellent, yess. And how inventive!"
They had no trouble disposing of the remaining pursuers and leaving the city. About half a mega-cycle later the fighter caught up to them.
**I lost last of them in underground ducts** the pilot seemed to be extremely pleased with himself. **Where to now, sir?**
"Just follow us."
Soon they reached the cruiser, and they first saw their new comrade. He looked very young despise his size, and Terrorsaur made a mistake of asking who the kid was.
Rust immediately started explaining that he didn't like to be called a kid. He stopped the second Megatron ordered him to, and Terrorsaur managed to crawl away.
After that no one tried to annoy the newcomer, or even go near him. There was something in his smile that unnerved even Tarantulas. The scientist didn't look too happy when the young bot approached him, asking something. They disappeared into a lab for some time after that, but for what purpose, Dinobot didn't know.
There were other things that occupied his mind. They made a few random trans-warp leaps and went into hiding, because Megatron needed few days to decode information the Disk contained.
He confirmed that, indeed, the original Megatron left an additional message in it, just as he suspected, but refused to inform Dinobot of its exact content. He only mentioned that the task it assigned required going to Earth. But the Maximals didn't really need to know that, did they...
As for Rust... During those few days he always kept close to Megatron, always kept his blaster at his side, (never in a subspace compartment) and whenever their leader gave him an order, he was zooming through the corridors in a motorcycle mode, to fulfill it all the faster.
And one order... It wasn't even an order. Just a day before the Axalon found them, Megatron looked up from the console he'd been working at and said "Rust, I'm bored. Shoot your hand off again."
Dinobot fell silent for a while and looked up at the listening Maximals.
"And he did."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The robot that had shot his hand off at his commander's request entered the Predacon base with an inert, black and yellow body on his shoulders. He was whistling quietly, but stopped the moment he was within hearing range of the rest of the crew.
He headed for the control room. The doors weren't operating, and he had to wrench them open. Then he stepped aside and kept them open for Tarantulas and Scorponok, who were carrying a charred pod. He didn't notice the odd looks they gave him, because he was scanning the room for Megatron. Ah, there he was.
"Brought her, sir," he reported, adjusting the weight on his shoulders.
Megatron glanced at him. "Excellent. Any particular reason she's off-line?"
Rust smiled widely. "She didn't want to be brought."
"I see. You know were the CR-tanks are." The young bot nodded and headed there.
He was dumping the she-spider in the tank, when the platform in the other one rose.
"Hey, how's the head?"
"Frag off!"
Rust chuckled. "Just asking! Sheesh, you're touchy!"
&&&&
They spent the rest of the night in the communication room, where something had exploded, removing the scrap and repairing what was repairable. Well, actually, Megatron, Tarantulas, and Scorponok were doing the repairs, Waspinator was sent outside as a sentry, and Terrorsaur was assigned to scrap removal, but Rust was helping him.
What? He liked carrying heavy things!
At dawn Megatron dismissed his troops for half a mega-cycle, mentioning that Rust might consider himself off-duty for the time being. Cool.
He headed towards his quarters.
Hmmm. Footsteps behind him. Two bots or more? Turning the corner he slowed down enough to glance at the outlines reflected in the wall. Terrorsaur and Tarantulas? And what did they may want? Well, let's wait and see...
Nothing much, he realized, as he opened the door. Just to have some free laughs. Rust put his hand on the upper frame and looked at his room thoughtfully.
The door. The wall around the door. The other wall. Some flooring. And...
"Nice view you got there," sputtered Terrorsaur between laughs. Tarantulas just chuckled.
Ah, figures. Be a nice guy for a nano, and they start to think you're at the bottom of the hierarchy chain. He would have thought he'd left strong enough impression when they first met...
But the view was nice. He liked the way lava lighted the space. He wondered briefly what had exploded here. One of the engines, maybe? He leaned forward to look at the boiling pit two decks down. Hmmm, maybe he could stay here... He tested the remaining floor, and some of it crumbled under his foot. Nope. Pity.
Oh well. He decided to attend to the newest problem. He had to remind his teammates that he was NOT to be messed with. Which one would serve as an example? Tarantulas? Hmm, nope. He'd given him the Megs-checker, andwas what Rust privately classified as a dark star - not a good type to have a quarrel with. So it would be Terrorsaur. Tough luck you got, bot.
"Where's all my stuff?" he asked, ripping two chunks of synt-foam from isolation layer around the door.
"Huh?"
With a wide smile, Rust put his arm around the red bot's shoulders and pulled him close.
"See those clamps on the wall? There were six small containers secured there. The clamps are intact, the boxes are gone. Where are they?"
Terrorsaur snorted. "How should I know?"
Aw, wrong answer, bot!
From Rust's point of view, it went like this:
- If I slam him face-first to the wall...
- and if I shove synt-foam up his jets...
- and if I push him through the door...
- and if I catch his leg just before he falls...
...then maybe he'll get a bit more cooperative.
For Terrorsaur it was like:
Smile.
/slam/
"Oooph!"
/whooosh/
"HELP!"
and then
"Let me down!"
Rust smiled again. "Are you sure?" and Terrorsaur realized his mistake. "NO!"
"So where's all my stuff?"
"I donno!"
"Aww, that's too bad..." his grip loosened a little.
"Tarantulas, help me!"
Tarantulas had backed away to a safe distance the moment the attack started, and was now watching the two bots thoughtfully.
"I think I saw Waspinator buzzing around here," he said almost absentmindedly.
Rust grinned and in one fluid movement pulled the red bot into the corridor, turned him the right way up and put him on his feet.
"Thank you," he said cheerfully, patting his head. Then he fell on four paws and trotted away, leaving them behind.
"Slaggin' psycho..." Terrorsaur muttered when he was sure Rust wouldn't hear him. "What did he put in my jets? Help me with it!"
Tarantulas was so deep in thoughts that he actually did help, against all Predacon protocols.
He was thinking of Rust.
That kid - and he wouldn't call him that aloud, oh no - was his big failure.
He hadn't known about him.
That was almost scary.
He hadn't known Megatron hired that one more bot.
He hadn't known that this bot even existed.
And when he tried to find any info on him when they went into hiding, his computer gave him nothing. He tried the name, the appearance, the energy signature, even the fighter's data, and it all resulted with a short notice about the theft over a stellar cycle ago. But Rust didn't exist in computer data banks anywhere.
And then he approached him with that infernal smile on his face, and asked if Tarantulas, by any chance, possessed a small tracking scanner, with such and such qualities...
And Tarantulas had a hard time controlling himself, because such scanners were one of latest, top secret devices used by high PSP officers and assassins, and no civilian was supposed to know about them.
And that could mean...
...that saying 'no' would be a very bad idea.
So he gave Rust the scanner, along with detailed instruction how to install it, both in him and in the target, and when the visitor finally left his lab, he sent a very carefully arranged question to the headquarters...
...and realized he'd made a mistake where their answer was, basically, 'Huh?'.
But now he was thinking about that again, because the way Rust demanded information was a basic procedure for field PSP officer. Of course it was also something any average thug would do... but still, he had something to think about.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waspinator's door was locked. Rusted examined the lock briefly, then kicked it. Yep, he was right, a very fragile thing...
He entered and found his containers right away. They were sitting on a shelf just across the room. Locks intact, contents untouched. Rust frowned. What's the point in taking them, then? He examined the room, full of garbage... Then he took a step back and examined it again, moving his thoughts to a different track.
The way the colorful thingies were scattered across the room.
The way six boxes were arranged, as if on display.
He stifled a laugher. Apparently Waspinator dragged the boxes here, because he liked the colorful holo-stickers they were covered with. Well, Rust liked them too. He was the one who put them there, after all.
Hmmm. The wasp's room was originally rookies' quarters, and was smaller than the crew's rooms the others occupied. Smaller, but with two bunks. It never stopped to amaze Rust that the more bots were supposed to fit in a room, the smaller its capacity was. There must have been some conspiracy behind this.
"What doggy-bot doing here?!"
Rust let his smile cover half his face, and turned.
"The name's Rust. And I live here. Why?"
Waspinator gaped at him, stunned.
"This Waspinator's room," he buzzed finally.
Rust tapped one of the boxes. "My stuff is here, I'm staying here. I'm not going to rupture myself dragging this to other room. You may stay or go, your choice."
But stay. I like having company.
"Doggy-bot can't just move in!"
"Rust. And watch me."
Waspinator was torn. He hated having roommates. They were always laughing at the way he spoke, and they were trashing his belongings, and always made him sleep on the upper bed and laughed even more when he kept banging his head on the ceiling. But on the other hand, if he retreated and picked another room, he would never hear the end of it.
He thought briefly about complaining to Megatron, and cringed.
No, he'd rather stay and suffer Rust's presence.
He circled around the bigger bot carefully and started to climb on the bed. Something gray blurred past him and lots of teeth snapped in front of his face.
"Upper bunk's mine. Get lost."
He fell to the floor and stared up in surprise. The wolf-bot wanted to recharge up there?
"Why doggy-bot--
The wolf landed on top of him.
"RUST!" he yelled, and growled.
Waspinator yelled as well, and shielded his face with one arm, the other searching desperately for a weapon...
The jaws full of spiky teeth drew back suddenly.
"I forgot about my backpack. Be right back." And the wolf trotted out, as if the event never occurred.
Waspinator scrambled to his feet and sat on his bed, looking after him. He didn't understand this bot, and he didn't like that. Dealing with people who did strange things tended to end in the CR-tank, in his experience. He sighed. Why did his life have to be so complicated?
By the time Rust found his backpack and returned, Waspinator was fast asleep. The wolf bot left the container in a corner and jumped onto his bunk silently. He was tired, but it would be five or eight cycles before he slept. What to do with eight cycles?
Something I missed very much in the wild.
He closed his optics and concentrated on his spark. He hated doing it at home (ha!), because most sparks there were identical to his, but here... He focused... and six distant stars appeared in the darkness. The youngest and closest - Waspinator. The two that seemed oldest... he momentarily switched to his scanner and back - this one's Megs, so that must be sarge. The gleam in the direction where the communication room was - Terrorsaur on monitor duty. Moving from CR-tanks area - must be Blackarachnia. Awfully mature for a newborn, but of course she had to be at least fifty to be in the Axalon's crew. Maximals didn't employ underage bots. And the dark star outside the base - Tarantulas.
Having them all identified, Rust let go of his extra senses, and recharged.
End part two
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Chapter edited on 28.02.2008)
1) ROTFL - roll on the floor laughing. But you knew that, of course
